van kirk



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

Patented June 13, 1882.

A. E.. VAN KIRK.

(No Modl.)

GOMBINED ARTISTS CASE AND EASEL.

Ll LI 1! LIEU U Lle (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. B. VAN KIRK.

COMBINED ARTISTS CASE AND EASEL.

' No. 259,441. Patented June 13. 1882.

AGNES E. VAN KIRK,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED ARTISTS CASE AND EASEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,441, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed May 3, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AGNES E. VAN KIRK, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Combined Artists Case and Easel; and I do hereby declare the following to he afull, clear, concise, an d exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to make a case for artists, which is also in the nature of a table, having several compartments to hold the palettes, paint-box, sponge, glass or tin watercup, pencils, brushes, and other articles used by artists while sketching or painting. The case is so arranged that it may be attached to any easel and used as a table, which may be adjusted in any position desired by an artist while sketching or painting, or it may be detached from the ease], and when closed will form a box to contain the sketchers materials, and may be carried with ease by him during sketching expeditions, and will also be useful to the artist as both table and case at home.

Figure 1 shows the artists case when closed, except the drawer B, which is drawn partly out. Fig. 2 is a perspective top view of the case when the lid A is removed. Fig. 3 is a direct end view, looking at the end into which the drawer B slides. Fig.4is a sectional view of one side of an easel, showing a dovetailed groove, 2', in a metal strip, I, which is inserted in the side of the easel. Fig. 5 shows metal rests f f, which may be used in the aperture 1) shown in Fig. 2 for the purpose of holding a water-glass. Fig. 6 shows a slotted strip of metal, I, made in suitable form to be attached to the standards of an easel, and forming with it a groove, 2', for the purpose of receiving and permitting the dovetailed metal slide is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 to slide up and down. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the table and easel when attached to each other in the manner hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the table and easel, showing the forked dovetailed metal slide h and the manner in which itis hinged to the dovetailed metal slide 70. Fig. 9 is a view showing the un- (No model.)

der side of the table when attached and adjusted to the easel K.

The ordinary size of the artists case is two and one-half feet in length and one foot in width and about one and three-quarter inch in depth, although it may be made of any desired size. The material for makingit should be cherry or other hard wood, which will make a fine finish and not be too heavy to be carried with ease. 1 The thickness of the wood for the cover, ends, and bottom need not be more than one-quarter or three-eigh ths of an inch; but the back piece should be thicker and made very strong.

The lid A (shown in Fig. 1) should be made sothat the ends will slide into the grooves c 0. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The lid may be secured by the hooks a a, which catch into the eyes g g.

The board 0 (shown in Fig. 2) is to be used for the purpose of holding the paint-box and pallets, and I will therefore designate it as the color-board. It is divided into spaces or sections F F by the dovetailed slats E E, which are made to fit and slide into the dovetailed grooves e 0 extending across the color-board; but if it should be found best to make the colorboard very thin, on account of weight in carrying the case, it may be made in several parts, with spaces sufficient for the slats E E to slip between them, and the ends of the slats may rest upon the supports for the color-board or slide into grooves made in such supports. The slats E E should be'wide enough to come above the color-board about one-quarter or one-half of an inch, so as to prevent the paint-box, 850., from slipping ofi' the table or out of their position. The grooves c e are made so that some of the slats will run straight and others diagonally across the color-board. The distance between the straight divisions is four inches and between the diagonal divisions two and one-half inches; but any number of grooves may be made to receive the slats E E; and at any desired distance apart, and as the slats are movable they can be adjusted so as to accommodate apaintbox of any size. The space F in the left-hand corner may be used for the sponge. For the purpose of holding the water-glass, an aperture, D, is made through the color-board, and light leather straps f f may be fastened at each end to the color-board, so that they will form a loop which will drop to adistance of three ort'our inches. Theseloops, being deeper than an ordinary painters glass, will in case ofjogging allow the water to run to the ground instead of over the color-board and materials. If there should be danger of knocking the glass while sitting at work, the metal restsff, (shown in Fig. 5,) being rigid, may be used instead of the leather straps. There are also eyes at the end of the table, which are made to receive the catch (threequarters of an inch in width) on tin water-cups, when they are preferred to a glass.

Directly in front of the color-board a trough, G, about one inch in width and one-half of an inch in depth, is made for the purpose of containing the brushes, pencils, &c. to be used by the artist while at work.

At one end of the case is aidrawer,B, which slides in under the color-board, and which is made wide enough to occupy the space between the back of the case and the opening D. The drawer may be fastened by the button on the inner end of the knob 12, or in any other suitable manner. This drawer will hold the slats E E when they are removed from the colorboard, and such other articles as may be desired.

On the back of the tablea dovetailed groove, H, should be made by letting a metal strip having a groove in itinto the wood, so thatits outer edge will be even with the edge of the wood, or by attaching a slotted metal strip to the wood. This strip of metal should be made very strong and be firmly attached to the wood, as it will bear nearly the whole weight of the table; but, if necessary, straps similar to the straps of a trunk-lid may be used to aid in supporting the weight. The groove H should extend from one end to the other, so that when attached to an easel the table may be made to slide laterally.

As shown in Fig. 4, a metal strip, 1, having in it a dovetailed groove, 2', may be insertedin the standards of the easel; but where the holes in an old case] should not leave space enough for this a slotted metal strip,I, (shown in Fig. 6,) may be attached to the standards of the easel,forming the groove 41, as shown in Fig. 9, the object of the groove or slot z' being to permit the table, when attached to an easel,

to slide up or down,so that it can be adjusted at any desired height.

For the purpose of attaching and adjusting the table to an easel, two dovetailed metal slides, h and k, (shown in Figs. 7 and 8,) may be used. The metal slide his forked, as shown in Fig. 8, and is hinged to the slide by means ofthe bolt Z. The fork of the metal slide h also passes on each side of a perforated adjustingarc, P, and hasin it a hole to permit the pin Z to pass through the forks and through the holes in the adjusting-arc P, to secure the table so that it may always be horizontal, no matter whatma-y bethe angle ofthe easel. The metal slide 7- extends downward an inch or more, so as to permit athumb-nut, j, or thumb-screws to be used for the purpose of securing the table when placed at the desired height. The slides 70 being in the grooves ii on each standard of the easel, the table is attached to it simply by placing it so that the projecting metal slides h will slip into the groove H at the end of the table, and then on across until the projecting slide h on the opposite standard has also slipped into the groove H. The table can then be adjusted at any desired height by loosening the thumb-nuts j j or thumb-screws and sliding it up or down, as the case may be, and then securing it by tightenin g the thumbscrews.

A'n easel being of a triangular form, the metal slides h and k, by which the table is attached to it, must necessarily approach each other as the table is moved upward, and will separate as it is lowered. The groove H extending across the back of the table will allow the slides to approach or move from each other, according to the movement of the table up or down. The lateral and vertical motions are very important, as they enable the artist to adjust the table to suit either a standing or sitting position; and as the slats E E in the color-board are movable and run at different angles, the paint-box and the palettes can be placed where and in the position in which they are needed. There being also a small space between the table and the easel, the ordinary pegs maybe dispensed with, as the sketching-block can rest upon the adjusting-arcs and will be braced by the back of the table.

As the case can be securely closed and fastened, it may be used as a carry-all for the sketcher by merely attaching a handle for the purpose of carrying it, and thus be made especially useful for outdoor work. It is arranged more particularly for water-colors, but may also be used in oil-painting.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An artists case adapted to be adjustably attached to an easel, consisting of the color-board O, the trough G, and drawer B, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with an easel, the colorboard 0, divided into spaces by the removable slats E E for the purpose of supporting the painting materials, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the color-board 0, having dovetailed parallel grooves, and the adjustable slats E E, dovetailed to fit said grooves, dividing the board into sections, and longitudinally removable, substantially as described.

4. The combination of an easel and a case or board for supporting painting materials, the board being adjustable laterally and vertically, substantially as described.

IIO

5. In combination with an easel having the 7 An artists case Consisting of the colorgrooves i tend slide it, an artists case having board G, trough G,drawer13, and lid A,whioh, the groove H and the slide 71-, the slides bewhen closed, will hold the painting materials in g connected to enable a lateral and vertical and may be carried.

5 adjustment of the case, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth. AGNES E. VAN KIRK.

6. The combination of the dovetailed grooves i z in an easel and the slides 70 h, having the Witnesses: thumb-screws jj for seourin g an artists case or E. HUNT, 10 board at any desired height, substantially as W. E. MACKENNA.

described. 

